Die clicker conductive blocks



Feb. 2, 1965 F. P. GlLMARTlN DIE CLICKER CONDUCTIVE BLOCKS Filed Jan. 5,1960 v INVENTOR, FRANCIS P, GILMARTIN,

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifiee 3,1519% Patented Feb. 2, 19653,167,990 DIE CLICKER CONDUCTIVE BLOCKS Francis P. Gilmartin, 172Pacific St, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Jan. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 539 3 Claims.(Cl. 83-658) The present invention relates to presses of the typecommonly known as clickers used for cutting blanks of sheet material bybringing the platen towards a cutting block on its bed. On the cuttingblock is a piece of sheet material on which rests a cutting die. Uponmovement of the platen as aforesaid, it pushes the die through the sheetstock, then moves away so that the press is ready for the nextoperation. There is an electrically operated system to cause automaticreturn of the platen away from the cutting block, as soon :as thecutting edge of the die contacts the block, the circuit of which systemis controlled by the closing of a switch means. The cutting block iselectrically conductive, but the electrically conductive bed plate ofthe press is insulated from the electrically conductive platen. It isevident that if the platen is made one terminal of such switch device:and the bed plate the other, that the circuit would be closed when thedie has passed through the sheet stock to contact the block; either thesheet stock is a dielectric or a dielectric sheet as of paper is laidunder the sheet stock. This invention relates to such switching means,but particularly to .a novel and improved cutting block which is partthereof and is applicable to any electrical control system of thecharacter mentioned.

Various attempts have been made heretofore to provide an electricallyconductive cutting block having some resilient quality and they havebeen made of a rubber composition impregnated throughout with substanceto make it electrically conductive. Not only is it expensive to be madesuch way, but its thickness is rather limited due to the electricalresistance offered.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide acutting block which can be made of any desired thickness and yet be agood electrical conductor for the purposes it is employed in theaforementioned switch means.

Another object thereof is to provide novel and im proved cutting blockconstruction which is easy and cheap to manufacture and efficient incarrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds.

For the practice of this invention, the cutting board shall be ofdielectric material of a composition of suitable hardness and preferablyhaving some resilient quality, presenting on one or both of its surfaceson which the cutting is done by the die, a multiplicity of relativelysmall-area soft electrically conductive elements in spaced relation sothat regardless of how the die is positioned thereon, the die willcontact .at least one of said elements after it has cut the blank; eachof said elements offering electrically conductive paths in the board andpreferably terminating in the opposite surface of such cutting board,for contact with the bed plate of the press.

The cutting board may assume the form of a laminated structureconsisting of a multiplicity of dielectric planks of a rubbercomposition and of a multiplicity of soft metal sheet members as ofaluminum; said metal sheets and dielectric planks being assembled inalternate relation; the surface of said cutting board on which the blankis cut by the die, being one presenting edges of said metal sheetmembers and it is preferred that the opposite edges of said sheetmembers shall be in the opposite surface of the board to contact the bedplate of the press. Other forms of construction following the teachingsof this invention, will also be shown and described herein.

In the accompanying drawing which is part of this specification, similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of an hydraulicallyoperated clickerequipped with one form of electrical control system for automatic returnof the platen when the die has reached the cutting board; the wiringsystem being shown in diagrammatic fashion, but it is the cutting boardincluded in the switch means to close such circuit which embodies theteachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cutting board included in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a cutting board of a slightlymodified construction.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view shown part in section, ofanother modified construction.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of still another form of construction for acutting board.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view shown partly in section,showing another construction of cutting board.

All constructions shown, being examples of cutting boards which embodythe teachings of this invention.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a clicker whoseelectrically conductive bed plate 16 is in sulated from the platen 17 byuse for instance of a dielectric sheet 18. On the bed plate is thecutting block denoted generally by the numeral 19, which in FIGS. 1 and2, is a laminated structure consisting of alternate rubber compositionplanks 2t) and aluminum sheets 21; said structure presenting top andbottom flat parallel surfaces formed in part by the small-area edges ofsaid metal sheets. The numeral 22 denotes the sheet stock of paper,leather, felt and the like, laid on the cutting block 19 to be cut bythe blank-cutting die 23 When the platen is moved toward the work by forinstance hydraulicallyoperated means, not shown, housed within thecasing 24, which driver is controlled by the electrically operatedmechanism for Working the valve 25. The normal condition of such valvemeans is such that the platen 17 is up. It is evident that the thicknessof the cutting block 19 may be of any desired dimension.

One form of electrical circuit is shown in FIG. 1. Here the electricalmechanism 25 controlling the valve means 25, is connected to the powerlines 26, 27, in series with a normally open switch 28 which is closedupon a downward push of its spring-loaded handle 29 and also in serieswith a normally closed switch means 30 oifered by the spring-loadedarmature 31 in contact with the fixed contact points 32, 33 of the relaydenoted generally by the numeral 34. The electro-magnet 35 of saidrelay, is connected to said power lines 26, 27 in series with the switchmeans indicated generally as 28 having the terminals 36, 37 and whichconstitutes in succession, the platen 17, the cutting die 23, the metalsheets 21 or any one of them .and the bed plate 16. When the cutting die23 is through the work and its cutting edges in contact with the exposededge of at least one of the metal sheets 21 of the cutting block 19,switch 28 will close, whereupon the electromagnet 35 will be actuated,causing the armature 31 to move away from the contact points 32, 33 andopen the switch .30, thereby opening the circuit of the means 25operating the valve 25, causing such valve to assume the condition tocause the platen to be raised to its normal rest position as shown inFIG. 1.

To trace the flow of current in the circuit shown, consider the initialcondition of the apparatus to be as in FIG. 1. The operator say places apiece of leather sheeting 22 on the cutting block 19 and usuallyinterposes a paper sheet, not shown, therebetween. He sets the die 23with cutting edge on such leather piece to encompass the region to beblanked out. Now, he pushes the handle 29 downward to close the switch28. Current 3 will flow from the power terminal 26, in successionthrough the connector 38, the closed switch 28, the connector 39, theclosed switch 30', the connector 40, the valve operating means 25' andthen through the connector 41 to the other power terminal 27. The platen17 will come down and press the die 23 until the dies cutting edge willcontact at least one of the metal sheets 21 of the cutting block 19.Now, current will flow from power terminal 26, successively through theconnector 49, the electromagnet 35, the connector 43, through the nowclosed switch 28 constituting the bed 18, at least one of the metalsheets 21, the die 23 and the platen 17, and thence through conductors44 and 41 to the other power terminal 27. This will actuate theelectromagent 35, whereupon the switch 30 will open, thus cutting olfthe power to the means 25' and the valve'25 willshift to the conditionto cause the platen to be raised.

Since the metal sheets 21 are all the way through the cutting blockstructure 19', ending in the opposite surfaces thereof, said block mayhave either of its surfaces as the cutting surface.

I will now give other examples of cutting block lconstructions embodyingthe teachings of this invention. For instance, all the metal inserts maybe formed of one continuous piece bent in sinuous fashion with squarecorners as shown at 45, with rubber composition planks '46 set betweenits flights 21'. As another embodiment, the cutting board may be as 46,comprising concentric memhers, namely the rings 47 of rubber compositionand of similar material the central core piece 47', having intermediatethem respectively, the rings 48 of thin aluminum sheeting. Or, a solidrubber composition board 49 may have soft metal wires 59 therethrough,ending in its opposite surfaces. Or, a solid rubber composition board 51may have slit channels 52 part Way down, filled by the flights 53 of asinuous thin metal part 54, shaped like 45 of suitable dimension, withits end flights as 53 preferably the full height of the'cutting block 51to make contact with the bed 18 when such cutting block is set thereon.

As heretofore mentioned, this'invention concerns itself with the cuttingblock construction herein'taught which serves as part of the switchmeans 28, in an electrical system to effect automatic limitation of thestroke of the platen 17 regardless of the motive means of the pressapparatus.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein bedeemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shallcover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had tothe following claims rather than to the specific description herein toindicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a cutting block to serve as part of an electrical switch means ina die clicker, of the character described, a dielectric cutting blockbody presenting two opposite surfaces, each of comparatively large areaand any of them for presentment to be met by the cutting edge of acutting die; said dielectric block body comprising a plu- 1 rality ofrelatively thick, wear-resisting insulative members, each said memberextending to said opposite surfaces and electrically-conductive sheetelements, each said element extending through said block from one suchsurface to the other; said members and elements being in alter- .naterelation and adjacent elements and members being in contact witheach'other to form a unitary laminated structure; the edges of saidelements being spaced in the surface they are part of and togetherconstitute but a small part of the area of the surface'they are part of;the spacing of the elements being such that when a die meets one of saidsurfaces, it will meet at least one of said element; said elements beingof softer material than the die which is to meet any of saidsurfaces.

2. A cutting block as defined in claim 1, wherein the dielectric membersare planks.

3. A cutting block as defined in claim 1, wherein the dielectric membersand the sheet elements are rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,783,838 Ericson et al Mar. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 699,112 France Dec.8, 1930 685,343 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1952

1. IN A CUTTING BLOCK TO SERVE AS PART OF AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH MEANS INA DIE CLICKER, OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A DIELECTIC CUTTING BLOCKBODY PRESENTING TWO OPPOSITE SURFACES, EACH OF COMPARATIVELY LARGE AREAAND ANY OF THEM FOR PRESENTMENT TO BE MET BY THE CUTTING EDGE OF ACUTTING DIE; SAID DIELECTRIC BLOCK BODY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFRELATIVELY THICK, WEAR-RESISTING INSULATIVE MEMBERS, EACH SAID MEMBEREXTENDING TO SAID OPPOSITE SURFACES AND ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE SHEETELEMENTS, EACH SAID ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BLOCK FROM ONE SUCHSURFACE TO THE OTHER; SAID MEMBERS AND ELEMENTS BEING IN ALTERNATERELATION AND ADJACENT ELEMENTS AND MEMBERS BEING IN CONTACT WITH EACHOTHER TO FORM A UNITARY LAMINATED STRUCTURE; THE EDGES OF SAID ELEMENTSBEING SPACED IN THE SURFACE THEY ARE PART OF AND TOGETHER CONSTAITUTEBUT A SMALL PART OF THE AREA OF THE SURFACE THEY ARE PART OF; THE